A Small Batch of Bread, Other Random Japan Pictures

I'm on my way home from Japan as this post gets published. I will probably take the week off from blogging for the Thanksgiving holiday and I'll reflect on the amazing trip and the learning… resuming posts about the trip along with my usual commentary on Lean articles in the news, etc.

I saw this at a Japanese 7-11 store yesterday… a small (3 slices) package of bread. I guess it's good for eating on the go… it says “3” on the package, but I think it actually looks like four slices of bread (better to have an even number, eh?). Is this an example of space-constrained small batch purchasing? Or is this something that we might actually find at a store in the U.S.?

Three (four) slices of bread for 88 yen which is $1.08. Compared to how much for a full loaf? Am I buying for a whole family or just for my breakfast toast and lunch sandwich for tomorrow? Do I have a car to haul my purchases back to my house or apartment and when I get there do I have a place to store my food stuffs? Choice is rarely a bad thing…